attack will be made before morning."

Then he went into his little room and threw himself onto his pallet.
During the first few minutes he lifted his head several times fancying
that he heard noises; then he fell into a sound sleep and did not awake
until the day dawned.

In a few minutes Guy was on the wall. The night had passed quietly; so far
as was known no fresh attempt at reconnoitring the works had been made,
and as the moon had risen soon after he had gone to bed there was reason
to believe that the fact that the two spies had not returned was so strong
a proof of the vigilance of the garrison, that the enemy had been content
to wait until morning. Just as the sun rose the three knights who had
summoned the castle on the preceding evening appeared on the brow of the
opposite slope, accompanied by a body of men-at-arms, and rode slowly
round the castle. From time to time they halted, and were evidently
engaged in a discussion as to the point at which it could be best
attacked.

"Shall I shoot, my lord?" Long Tom asked. "They are some two hundred and
fifty yards away, but from this height methinks that I could reach them."

"It would be useless," Sir Eustace said; "you could hit them, I doubt not,
but you would not pierce their armour at this distance, and it is as well
that they should not know how far our bows will carry until we are sure of
doing execution when we shoot; besides I would rather that they began the
fight. The quarrel is not one of my seeking, and I will leave it to them
to open the ball. It is true that they did so last night by sending their
spies here, but we have balanced that account. Moreover, if they are to
attack, the sooner the better. They may have gained news from Sir Hugh of